The Dubuque Racing Association Board unanimously approved a $3 million increase Tuesday to the upcoming renovation project at the Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino.

The project price tag is now $10 million and will include an overhaul of the facility kitchen, the addition of a fine dining restaurant and an events center that seats 500. The DRA is the nonprofit license holder of the racetrack casino.

"Why not now?" Jesús Aviles asked the board concerning the renovation project cost increase, noting the pending competitive pressures from the new Diamond Jo Casino.

"I feel if we don't do this now, we will be behind the 8-ball," he said, as DRA President John Schmidt nodded.

The Diamond Jo Casino is planning to open an $84 million facility in the Port of Dubuque in December.

Aviles, the racetrack casino's general manager, said the additional expenses will in part cover precautionary construction measures. The facility is built over an old landfill, and methane gas could potentially be a problem.

Aviles said work on the project is expected to start in the next

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two weeks.

The building itself, which dates back to the early 1980s, also has proven to have more infrastructure improvement needs than originally anticipated.

"This old house needs some renovating," Aviles said.

Aviles said the "slight increase" in cost is necessary to cover all aspects of the facility upgrade, including the restaurant.

The racetrack casino suffers lost business by sending diners in search of fine dining to other restaurants around town, said Aviles, who added that a restaurant would "create a sense of place to the facility."

The pari-mutuel and racetrack areas also will be enhanced, since the current amenities have an ambiance that is outdated, Aviles said.

Although greyhound racing numbers have lagged both locally and nationwide, Aviles said there are no plans to eliminate it, especially since it is unique to the tri-state area. He said marketing efforts in that arena will increase in coming months.

Additional costs in the greyhound park construction contracts will be set so they will not exceed $10 million, Aviles said in response to a board member's question.

Ric Jones, a Dubuque City Council representative on the board, said he thought the increase was necessary.

"We didn't get where we are today by not sticking our neck out a little bit," Jones said.

The time line of the project will not be changed by the increased cost and is still slated for completion by the end of March.